• Asturias
• Barcelona
• Bilbao
• Gibraltar
• Madrid
• Malaga
• Palma de Mallorca
• Porto
• Valencia
• Vigo

Click here to see pictures taken at Madrid Barajas, and here for other airports in Spain and Portugal

Madrid - Barajas  (MAD/LEMD)

General info: Madrid's Barajas Airport has seen a lot of construction over the past years, with the addition of two new runways, a main terminal building and satellite buildings.  The new Terminal 4 in the north of the grounds, which is used by OneWorld alliance carriers including Iberia, has been inaugurated in January 2006. MAD is a major gateway to destinations in Middle and South America.

Runway layout: 15L/33R, 15R/33L, 18L/36R, 18R/36L; between 11,500 and 14,900 ft (3500 and 4500m) long.

Base of: Barajas is the home base of Iberia and several other smaller carriers.

Spotting: There is a cafeteria in Terminal 2, offering a good overview of the central apron. It can be reached via the check-in area. Around the airport there are a few locations from where movements can be watched.

Frequencies: ATIS 118.25, Approach 124.025, 127.50, Tower 118.15, 118.075, Ground 121.70, 121.85

Website: www.aena.es

Click here to see pictures taken at Madrid Barajas

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Barcelona - El Prat  (BCN/LEBL)

General info: El Prat, Spain's second largest airport, is also being expanded big-time.  A new terminal is being built between runways 07L/25R and 07R/25L.  Most traffic is generated by the famous Puente Aereo, the air bridge between Barcelona and Madrid, where Iberia alone has up to 60 flights per day.

Runway layout: 07L/25R 12,300 ft (3700m); 07R/25L 8700 ft (2600m); 02/20 8300 ft (2450m).

Base of: Vueling Airlines, a low-cost airline operating Airbus A320's. Second hub of Iberia.

Spotting: The airside of the passenger terminal offers good photo opportunities. There are perimeter roads all around the airport.

Frequencies: ATIS 118.65, Approach 119.10, 124.70, Tower 118.10, 118.325, Ground 121.70, 121.85

Website: www.aena.es

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Palma de Mallorca  (PMI/LEPA)

General info: Palma de Mallorca is Spain's third largest airport in overall passenger numbers, but climbs up to the first position during the summer season. 

Runway layout: 06L/24R and 06R/24L.

Base of: PMI is the home base of Air Europa, Spanair, AeBal and Futura. But the largest user of the airport is not a Spanish airline: low-cost carrier Air Berlin has its main hub at PMI and also offers domestic flights within Spain from here.

Spotting: The terminal building doesn't offer good spotting possibilities. The best spot along the runways is at the threshold of Rwy 24L. To get here follow direction Cala d'Or and take the first exit, turning left and crossing the motorway. The beaches west of the airport offer good possibilities to take pictures of landing aircraft, although you´ll need a long zoom lens for full frame photos.

Frequencies: Approach 118.75, 119.15, 119.40, Tower 118.30, Ground 121.70, 121.90

Website: www.aena.es

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Malaga  (AGP/LEMG)

General info: Malaga is the main gateway to the Costa del Sol, the Spanish south coast. It is busy throughout the year with scheduled services, and traffic increases considerably in summer with charter flights. The passenger numbers have doubled in ten years, from 6 million in 1995 to 12 million in 2005.

Runway layout: 13/31; 10,500ft (3200m)

Base of:

Spotting: Spotting opportunities can be found at the western side of the runway. The best location when runway 13 is in use is near the town of Churriana, opposite the terminal buildings. When runway 31 is used, close-up shots can be had standing on the parking lot of a large shopping complex just southwest of the runway threshold.

Frequencies: ATIS 118.05, Approach 123.95, Tower 118.15, Ground 121.70

Website: www.aena.es

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Valencia - Manises  (VLC/LEVC)

General info: The number of airlines serving Valencia Manises is steadily increasing, as the area is becoming more popular among tourists and foreigners wishing to relocate here. The five larger aircraft parked on the southern apron which are visible on this image are stored Iberia Airbus A300's.

Runway layout: 12/30. The north-south runway visible on the satellite image is very rarely used.

Base of: VLC is the home of Air Nostrum, which operates an extensive network of domestic and an increasing number of international lines under the Iberia Regional brand name.  Air Nostrum's headquarters and maintenance centre are located at the southern part of the airport. ORIONair is a new airline planning to start operations ex-VLC in June 2006.

Spotting: A good spotting spot can be found at the eastern end of runway 12/30, near a Repsol petrol station.  There is a pedestrian bridge spanning the motorway which is located along the final approach path.  The best time to take pictures is in the morning.  A second spot is near the golf course in the north-west end, good for taking pictures of aircraft just before touchdown, especially in the morning or late afternoon.  From the terminal, there is a good overview of the apron and the runway from the cafeteria on the third floor.

Website: www.aena.es

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Bilbao - Sondika  (BIO/LEBB)

General info: Bilbao is famous for its ultramodern terminal which, together with the Guggenheim Museum in the city, is one of the city's trademarks.  The airport is located in a valley.  Spotting at Bilbao is not easy, as the terminal, despite the glass facade, doesn't offer good photo opportunities and the security in and around the airport is very strict due to the high risk of attacks by the Basque separatist group ETA.

Runway layout: 12/30 (main runway), 10/28

Base of:

Spotting: Although the terminal facade is all glass, taking pictures is a bit difficult due to supporting columns and pipes. There are various spots in the valley under the approach path of Rwy 30 to take good pictures though.

Website: www.aena.es

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Asturias - Avilés  (OVD/LEAS)

General info: Avilés Airport, also referred to as Oviedo, is one of the regional airports in the north of Spain. Its main air connection is with the capital Madrid but as the region is becoming more popular for tourism, the number of domestic and international destinations is steadily growing.

Runway layout: 11/29 7200 ft (2200m)

Base of: Air Asturias

Spotting: Good photographing opportunities at OVD are more or less limited to the terminal building.

Website: www.aena.es

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Vigo Airport (VGO/LEVX)

General info: Vigo is one of the three airports in Galicia and its main links are with Madrid, Barcelona and Bilbao.

Runway layout: 02/20 7800 ft (2400m)

Base of:

Spotting:

Website: www.aena.es

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Gibraltar  (GIB/LXGB)

General info: Gibraltar is one of the truly unique airports in the world, built on a narrow stretch of land between the Spanish border and the famous Rock.  On the picture above you can clearly see the main road, which crosses the runway and is closed with barriers whenever a plane is on the runway. Gibraltar used to have direct scheduled services to London and Manchester only, but will get new routes in the near future, including to Madrid.

Runway layout: 09/27 6000 ft (1830m)

Base of: Gibraltar is the administrative base of GB Airways, but not the operational. Fly Gibraltar is a new low cost carrier planning to launch services to the UK and Ireland as from April 2007, operating Boeing 737-300's.

Spotting: The best spot to take aircraft pictures is along the barriers, when these are lowered because the runway is in use. Another good spot is from the Spanish side along the eastern end of the runway.

Website: www.gibnet.com/airport (unofficial site)

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Porto / Oporto - Francisco Sa Carneiro (OPO/LPPR)

General info: Porto is Portugal's second largest city. The airport caters mainly for business travellers, although there is a considerable amount of leisure travellers too.

Runway layout: 17/35 11,500 ft (3500m)

Base of: Portugalia, second hub of TAP Portugal

Spotting: There is a nice, large viewing terrace on the passenger terminal's roof offering a good view of the main apron.

Website: www.ana-aeroportos.pt

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Click here to see pictures taken at Madrid Barajas, and here for other airports in Spain and Portugal

Satellite images from Google Earth